Justice Department lawyers and security officials are reviewing Russia sanctions legislation awaiting President Donald Trump's signature in an indication of a signing statement that would stake out executive authority.

The process, which the White House calls a 'legal review' is an effort to scrub the legislation, which Congress passed by an overwhelming majority, to ensure that the president has maximum flexibility to interpret restrictions within the law as narrowly as possible.

'In this atmosphere, just like when we did signing statements, it’ll get noticed because everybody will believe like Trump’s not really going to implement what Congress wrote,' former Bush National Security Council official and House Intelligence panel staff director Michael Allen told DailyMail.com.

Justice Department lawyers and security officials are reviewing Russia sanctions legislation awaiting President Donald Trump 's signature in an indication of a signing statement that would stake out executive authority

President George W. Bush issued 161 signing statements during his presidency, as a way to protect authority he considered to reside in the executive branch. Allen said Trump was certain to do so on the charged issue of sanctions relating to Russia.

'This will be a very serious constitutional issue. They use all these things like national interest determination: when you can invoke [sanctions], when you cannot,' he said.

'Of course they will' issue a signing statement, he said.

The White House acknowledged Tuesday that it was conducting a review of the legislation – but offered no other explanation for a delay in the signing of a bill Congress has now formally sent over to the White House.

'He has not [signed the bill]' said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, adding 'we’ll let you know when the details and final plan …'

Then-candidate Donald Trump holds up a signed pledge during a press availability at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York September 3, 2015

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the White House was conducting a 'legal review' of sanctions legislation that the president has yet to sign

When pressed at the daily White House press briefing about why Trump hadn't signed it, she said: 'There’s nothing holding him back. There’s a review process, a legal process, they’re going through that and we’ll sign the bill and we’ll let you guys know.'

Then she added: 'As with every very particularly complex piece of legislation like this is, there’s a legal review and once we sign that we’ll work through and put more of the details of that process out.'

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She didn't respond to a direct question from DailyMail.com about a signing statement, nor did another senior administration official, nor the press office of the Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the process.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

The legislation slaps new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and seeks to tie the president's hands – a rare bipartisan push against Trump, whose campaign is under investigation for contacts with Russian officials during the campaign and presidential transition.

'When it’s about presidential authority and presidential discretion, they’re going to write things like we will construe this consistent with the president’s inherent authority for foreign affairs,' said Allen, spelling out ways to try to mitigate the law.

President Donald J. Trump makes remarks at an event with small businesses in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y. talks about a letter he sent to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, requesting a bipartisan effort on tax reform. Members of Congress frequently chafe at presidential signing statements as a way to undermine legislative intent

'Of course they will' issue a signing statement,' said former Bush national security official Michael Allen

SIGN OF THE TIMES: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference after the G20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, July 8, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump signs a document after announcing his Cuba policy at the Manuel Artime Theater in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami, Florida, U.S. June 16, 2017

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 22: U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden (L) and retired military officers stand behind and watch U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd-L) sign executive orders to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay Cuba in the Oval Office at the White House on January 22, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama had promised to close the prison camp throughout his presidential campaign

U.S. President George W. Bush receives an update on the status of military action in Iraq March 20, 2003 in the Oval Office. Present are.. Vice President Dick Cheney, CIA Director George Tenet and Chief of.. Staff Andy Card

Such statements could potentially provide the foundation for a position during a court case, or lay the groundwork for the president granting waivers to individuals or companies. 'That always pisses the Hill off,' he said, referencing prior statements.

President Obama called the statements an abuse of power during the 2008 campaign, then made use of them himself.

In one example, he said while signing Guantanamo Bay restrictions: 'As I have said repeatedly, the provisions in this bill concerning detainee transfers would, in certain circumstances, violate constitutional separation-of-powers principles.'

As the Washington Times reported, he added: 'Additionally, Section 1034 could in some circumstances interfere with the ability to transfer a detainee who has been granted a writ of habeas corpus. In the event that the restrictions on the transfer of detainees in Sections 1032 and 1034 operate in a manner that violates these constitutional principles, my administration will implement them in a manner that avoids the constitutional conflict.'

The House passed the sanctions bill by a vote of 419 to 3, sending an unmistakable message that it could override a veto. The bill makes it harder for the president to ease sanctions without getting approval from Congress – a structure that clashes with the traditional White House view that it is the executive who makes foreign policy.